Easy Perfect Fried Rice

How To Make Fried Rice At Home

Making fried rice at home is easy but there is a method to making it which will save you lots of time and avoid making the dish too gluggy. If you follow this simple recipe I guarantee you will enjoy this dish.

Ingredients

You will need:

Some left over cooked rice that has been refrigerated. (This helps to dry the rice out). Note: in this recipe I cooked 2 cups of basmati rice in a rice cooker the day before making it.

A large onion

3 rashers of bacon (fatty is okay because it helps to create fat for the pan and therefore stops the fried rice from sticking).

3 eggs and a dash of milk

1 cup of Frozen peas

A chicken stock cube or chicken stock powder (optional)

Sesame oil

Soy Sauce

Note: these ingredients may sound bland but trust me, sometimes simple is best and this will taste delicious I promise.

Utensils

A non stick wok for cooking your fried rice

A non stick small frying pan for the eggs.

A wooden spatula

Step One

Remove the rind from the bacon. If the bacon is very fatty remove some of the fat but not all. You don't want it too fatty but you want enough fat with the bacon to stop the rice from sticking to the pan.

Dice the bacon into small pieces.

Finely dice a large onion.

Add a splash of sesame oil to your wok and heat the oil. Get it nice and hot. You don't need too much oil here because the bacon will create fat in the pan, so just add enough to lightly coat the wok.

Add the onion and bacon to the wok on a high heat to start with. Fry rapidly for about two to three minutes.

When the bacon appears as if it's starting to brown add your frozen peas and a dash of chicken stock powder (not too much, just a shake or two). Cook long enough for the peas to thaw and any moisture from the peas to evaporate.

Turn the heat down to low on the wok.

Add your refrigerated rice. Tip: If some of the rice is clumped together, use your hands to break the rice apart as you add it to the wok.

Keep folding the rice over with your spatula to mix the ingredients through and heat the rice through. While that is heating, go to the next step.

Fried Rice Step 1

This is the first step with the bacon and onion cooking in a hot wok.

End of Step 1 - your rice is heating through on a low heat.

Step Two - Cooking Perfect Eggs for the Fried Rice

Now that the fried rice is heating through, crack your two to three eggs into a jug or bowl, add a good dash of milk and whisk it with a fork so that the yolk and egg white have combined.

Add some sesame oil to a separate small non stick pan and heat the oil.

Add the egg and then reduce the heat.

Eggs will burn if the heat is up too high so keep it a fairly low heat and as it's cooking push the egg into the middle of the pan to form it into an omlette. (See all the photos below).

When it's cooked through break it into small pieces with your spatula. Add it to your fried rice and fold it through.

Note: Most fried rice recipes will tell you to make a center and cook the egg in the Fried Rice wok - I don't do this anymore. I end up losing too much of the egg this way. It either sticks to the pan, or rice falls into it before it's cooked properly. I use a separate pan and that way I get lovely large fluffy chunks of egg in the dish, as you will see in the photos below.

Cooking the egg for fried rice

Egg added to pan

Egg starting to cook - at this point start pressing the edges into the middle with your spatula

Egg still cooking and taking shape - this doesn't take long - only a couple of minutes.

When the egg is almost cooked you can flip it over with a spatula to cook the top side

At this point the egg is almost cooked so you can start dividing it with your spatula.

Now break that into smaller pieces with your spatula and add it to the fried rice in the wok.

Add the egg to the wok and fold through gently.

Step 3 - Serve

When the dish is heated through properly you can start serving it. Note: the taste of this dish really relies on the fact that you are going to add soy sauce to your fried rice before you eat it. Soy sauce really ads to the flavor of this dish. Without soy sauce I think the dish might be quite bland.

Important: I have found that it's always best to add soy sauce to the rice after you've served it in a bowl or plate. In other words, let the person eating the rice add the amount of soy they prefer.

Adding soy sauce to the dish while it's cooking just doesn't work. It can make the rice too moist and sticky, and the flavor seems to change, which means you need to add more after it's served anyway.

Some finely chopped shallots or spring onions go well with this dish as well, garnished on top.

Easy Perfect Fried Rice

Perfect Homemade Fried Rice

Types of Rice To Use

I only buy one type of rice and that is Basmati. Basmati has a lovely aromatic flavor and is great with curries.

I use any left over rice from a curry to make up a wok of fried rice. It works perfectly well.

Basmati Rice

Premium Soy

Types of Soy Sauce

Soy Sauce comes in so many varieties - cooking soy, light and dark, and premium blends.

I recently bought a premium soy because my preferred brand was not on the shelf and I have to say it's one of the nicest soy's I've ever added to fried rice.The brand I purchased is Lee Kum Kee premium soy - my partner even said that this dish tasted better with that soy sauce.

Personally I prefer the Chinese brands of soy sauce. Most supermarkets stock Chinese goods these days but if yours doesn't visit your nearest china town or Chinese grocer. And don't be afraid to ask for advice.

Soy sauce is very high in salt and therefore people with high blood pressure should be careful and use it sparingly.

Fried Rice Variations

Now that you've got a great foundation recipe you can add any other ingredients you like.

Snow peas are an excellent addition, although add them at the end when the rice is heating through as you don't want to overcook them.

Mushrooms, bean shoots and bamboo shoots also go well.

Chinese people often also add crab meat, prawns, chicken, or pork - so experiment and see what you like.

My recipe is used in my home just to use up left over rice, and I use it as a meal filler for those times I'm starving between meals or just want something light to eat. It's very filling and your kids will love it too.

Rice is highly nutritious and is the main food staple in so many asian countries.

Storage & Reheating

If you've made up a big supply, you can refrigerate any leftovers and store it for a few days.

To reheat, add a serving to a microwave dish and nuke on medium for about two minutes. It will taste just as good as the day you made it, if not better.

Other Fried Rice Recipes

Great-tasting Fried Rice for BeginnersI'm always surprised when my family or friends give me positive comments on my fried rice. After all, the dish is probably one of the easiest to prepare. But after reading what others have to say about the...

How to Make Fried Rice and Fried Rice RecipesFried rice is of course traditionally an Asian dish but it is now popular and prepared all around the world. The basics of how to make fried rice are not complicated but it is very easy to make a simple...

Chinese Food: How to Make Fried RiceAlthough it does take some practice, fried rice is the easiest Chinese food dish to make. Fried rice can be served as a side dish or on top of soft lo mein noodles as a main dish. You can use any vegetables...

Comments

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Author

Belinda Hodge 5 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

NP.QUEEN, thank you, really hope you liked it!

NP.QUEEN 5 years agofrom Dubai

Very nice hub with easy method. I will try to make this.

Thanks for sharing.

Author

Belinda Hodge 6 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

Hi jpcmc - I was just over the moon to hear you loved this recipe! That is so awesome! The addition of Longanisa sounds perfect also - you can really add anything that you like to this. Thanks again for your feedback!

JP Carlos 6 years agofrom Quezon CIty, Phlippines

I wanted to tell I tried the recipe and it was PERFECT. Ate more rice than the viand. :) Next time I'll include Longanisa (they are native sausages from the Philippines), or maybe I can use sea foods. You're recipe is a great base for different variations. Love it. Do write more.

Author

Belinda Hodge 6 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

Thanks jpcmc! Your comment is appreciated! Is is indeed a great way to create another meal. Thanks for visiting.

JP Carlos 6 years agofrom Quezon CIty, Phlippines

Coming from a country where rice is a staple, this is a great way of recycling left overs. Yummy!

Author

Belinda Hodge 7 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

@sameerk - thank you for your comment and taking the time to reply.

@sgphilgoh - Phil - thank you for your wonderful analysis! I had no idea! Your feedback is very much appreciated.

sgphilgoh 7 years agofrom Singapore

Belinda, Good writing skills indeed. With more than 1,000 entries on "Fried Rice" in Hubpages, you still manage to score 81 at No 2 spot. Not far behind top spot written by someone else 3 years ago.Nice and clear pictures taken while you're cooking too. Congratulation on a piece of work well done.

sameerk 7 years agofrom India

nice one , loved it so easy

Author

Belinda Hodge 7 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

Hi Jaime - thanks for stopping by! I've come back to this recipe because I started to feel so guilty throwing out left over rice! Naughty me! I hope you enjoy it - do let me know! Yes I am visual too and I think photos just help to make me remember without having to read over and over and try and picture it in my head. Thanks for commenting Jaime.

Jaime 7 years ago

Belinda, this recipe sounds great. I happen to have some rice in the fridge from last evening. I am going to give this a try. I agree the pictures are a great idea given I am a visual person! LOL

Author

Belinda Hodge 7 years agofrom Brisbane Australia

Thanks Katrina - it is very easy! And thanks for mentioning the photos - I find it quite a juggle to cook and photograph at the same time, but it's fun to do anyway! I appreciate you taking the time to comment, thank you.

katrinasui 7 years ago

Wow! What a easy way to make fried rice. Pictures are wonderful. Thanks Belinda for sharing all these steps to make fried rice.